Career Outlook


by Editors editors@ccgmag.com


TOP EMPLOYERS IN CYBER SECURITY HOT JOBS IN A SUPER-COOL SECTOR


There is no doubt that technology has changed the way we do business today. Instant messaging, teleconferencing, the World Wide Web, and smart phones (to name a few things) have all added to our efficiency and productivity.


But there’s another side to all that technology—cyber crime. For every tool that can be used for good, there’s someone who will figure out how to use it for harm.


This is a critical problem in the area of private record-keeping, for instance. Many companies and individuals are getting rid of paper record-keeping in favor of digital. But where critical records were once kept under lock and key in a file cabinet, and accessible only to a select few, digital record keeping opens this information up to any hacker with a modicum of computer experience.


The bad news is that companies are constantly threatened by hackers and need someone on staff who is tech savvy and security-minded.


The good news is that someone could be you. How important is a career in cyber security? Here is President Obama’s assessment during a speech in May 2009: “In short, America’s economic pros- perity in the 21st century will depend on cyber security...It’s now clear this cyber threat is one of the most serious economic and national security challenges we face as a nation.”


In general, cyber security specialists help keep a company’s digitally-stored information safe from prying eyes. Federal agencies, contractors and tech companies are among the major sectors that compete with each other for cyber security workers.


Cyber security and information assurance jobs are rapidly expanding, leaving a host of options for tech-savvy students and professionals.


Major universities like Virginia Tech and global companies, including IBM, were among them.


One private firm on the lookout for cyber security workers is ARINC Inc. in Annapolis, Md. The company anticipates hiring 200 to 300 cyber security professionals over the next couple of years to work for their commercial and military customers.


Progress Energy, based in Raleigh, N.C., recently posted for a senior IT security analyst. Protecting the company’s informa-


A minimum of an associate’s degree, some experience work- ing with computers, and a working knowledge of security threats will get you in on the ground floor of the industry. To work at the top levels, you’ll most likely need a master’s degree and several years of experience. It also helps to have a sense of urgency, the ability to spot new trends in cyber threats and knowledge of software application development.


These are good-paying jobs, too. Computer systems analysts, for example, can earn up to $78,000 a year.


A recent search of a major employment website turned up more than 7,000 jobs in the field of cyber security, with titles ranging from cyber security engineer to security consultant.


www.hispanicengineer.com


tion is extremely important for Progress Energy, a Fortune 500 energy company with around $10 billion in annual revenues and about 3.1 million customers in the Carolinas and Florida.


Demand for cyber security specialists is expected to grow as homeland security issues increase and change.


But the supply of such workers today is far too small. One prime example of the need for more qualified cyber security workers can be seen at Maryland-based SafeNet Inc., which provides consultants to work with government agencies. Out of 100 consultant openings this year, SafeNet was able to fill only four.


“They’re just hard to find,” said Joe Moorcones, SafeNet’s vice president of cyber security. “Everybody’s going after them.”


HISPANIC ENGINEER & Information Technology | 2011 53


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